A stand-up presentation can be a powerful tool to influence prospects, clients or investors to favor your idea. In a presentation, you must be in charge. You stand. They sit. You control the sequence and flow of information. However, if you are uptight, nervous or drench your slides with words, you will seriously undermine your message.

With continuous feedback from the instructor and fellow participants, you will learn:

Staging Techniques—See how to keep the focus on you. Discover why you must step away from the lectern, stand by the screen and work with your visuals to better connect with viewers. You, not the screen, must deliver the message.

Q&A—Understandhowto encourage questions, neutralize negative comments and involve the whole group. Looking at just the questioner while giving the answer is one of the many common mistakes presenters commit during Q&A.

Relevance to you: Stand-uppresentations are a physical activity. The better your delivery, the better chance you have to persuade listeners. Upon completion, in your next presentation, you will appear more sincere, confident and knowledgeable.

Presenter: Paul LeRouxstarted his career as a corporate speechwriter. He then spent 25 years in his own business, coaching senior executives for important speeches, rehearsing accounting firms for competitive engagements and preparing entrepreneurs for venture capital presentations. He is the author of two books on presenting: Visual Selling and Selling to a Group. He also created numerous training DVDs to help individuals enhance their written proposals and oral pitches. Paul holds two patents, started 5 successful businesses and is an investor with the Heartland Angel group.